A new era has emerged in American and world geopolitics with
the election of President Donald J. Trump. Many questions have arisen regarding
his attitude towards foreign nationals and his US-centric approach in general.
From what can be deduced from his actions since he took office, he is serious,
and one of the groups that may be affected by this approach is international
students, specifically from Muslim countries.

In one of his first actions as president, Trump issued an
executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim
majority countries from entering the United States. In his order, Trump specifically mentions international students. You can hear what he said about
it here:

It may be surprising to find that from the list of banned
countries, Iran is the one who sends the most students to the US - 12,269 students
last year, with the rest of the countries sending less than half that number.
When you think about the magnitude of the problem, the students affected by the situation are
less than 2% of the total number of international students in the US. However, for the students who are affected, this is potentially a very serious issue, and it is hard to tell if it will affect many more over the course of Trumps presidency.

How have universities reacted?

The government has asked universities to supply lists of
students from these countries. It appears that most universities are complying,
with the University
of Michigan standing out as not agreeing. There has for a long time, beena
requirement that US universities report the number of international students on
their campuses, via the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS). It is
not clear if a new requirement came out now, and how much of it is political
and media noise.

It is hard to assess what will stick after the noise
dies down. The leaders of several major universities have issued statements
and directives that they will support students without regard to their immigration
status and that they will not partner with law enforcement agencies to proactively
enforce the new federal immigration regulations. Universities
are working hard to understand exactly who of their students and faculty
are affected by the new order.

By Magister danko (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

I am an international student currently in the US - what
should I do?

Do not travel outside the US while the executive order is in
effect. You may not be able to come back! Don’t risk it.

Be in touch with the international office at your university
to understand how they can support you through this period.

Carefully read the executive order and its implications on
you.

Continue to follow, as additional countries may be added to
the list while others may be removed pending the review process that will end
in 90-120 days.

I applied to be an international student in the US next year
– what should I do?

If your country is not on the list, you will most likely be
able to pursue your studies as planned.

If your country is on the list, seriously consider applying
to schools in other international destinations that will accept you: Canada,
United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France and others.

If you are a dual citizen - US and one of the countries on the list, you will most likely be accepted. Though you may be detained and questioned upon your next entry to the US. Make sure to have legal backup just in case things get complicated.

Is the party over?

International students contribute over $30 billion to the US
economy each year, and are the economic force driving the survival of many
major universities, especially given the US student financial aid bubble that
may soon burst. Therefore, it is not likely that this executive order will
change the upward trend in internationalization of education or significantly reduce
the number of students who come to the US every year. We may see a more
moderate growth curve this year and next, as the fear ensues, but the US will likely remain the
number one destination for international students worldwide for the foreseeable future.

_________

This post was written by Jacob Bacon, GradTrain’s
Co-Founder and CEO and reflects his analysis of the current situation.
Mr. Bacon is himself an immigrant and former international student.

Current or
prospective international students should not rely solely on this analysis and
should seek legal counsel for their individual case. If you want to receive
further support from GradTrain regarding this issue, please visit our website at: https:///www.gradtrain.com

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